Concrete tank

Milliman69 · Sep 20, 2015

I'm starting to plan the new tank and have been getting some mixed answers about the glass size that I will need for the tank.

The tank will be 8'x6'x4' tall (1500 gallons) and it will all be concrete besides the single pane on the front.

The pane of glass will be 6'x3'

My question is thickness, what size should I go? I don't think 3/4" will be thick enough but wanted to see if anyone out there can help out.

Pepcrylic · Sep 20, 2015

I have no idea. If it were me I wold be consulting a company that builds commercial aquariums. 1500 gals of water could cause an enormous amount of damage.

Dtackett · Sep 20, 2015

contact a local glass company, explain to them what youre trying to do. remember, you could always pull a pane of glass out of an old cracked or leaking fish tank. like a 240 or 300 gallon tank. to be honest acrylic is your best bet. what are you going to use to seal the glass/acrylic to the concrete? what kind of sealer/liner are you going to use? to be honest, I plan a concrete tank at some point but its going to be a look down lagoon tank. don't want to mess with glass and such.

redfishbluefish · Sep 20, 2015

There are engineering calculations for determining thickness....and without looking them up, I'd guess that 3/4 glass is not thick enough. I'd consider plexi for a tank this size.

Dtackett · Sep 21, 2015

well according to this you need 25mm glass, less than 1 inch.

http://www.theaquatools.com/building-your-aquarium

Milliman69 · Sep 21, 2015

I'm building this my self. No real need for a company to charge me an arm and a leg.

I've contacted a few companies and have said 3/4" is good but I could go bigger but then it's 2 pieces together.

I rather not go acrylic but could if I need to.

Dtackett · Sep 21, 2015

keep it at 25mm or more and youre good to go. I wouldn't pay a company to do it either. its not difficult to build a concrete tank. just remember, silicone can have trouble bonding to some liners. and if you use acrylic it has issues bonding to acrylic too. but a glass pane and a liner like pond armor and youre good to go.

Milliman69 · Sep 21, 2015

Thanks I am planning pond armor plus my concrete company said they could add an additive and makes it waterproof.

Milliman69 · Sep 21, 2015

Also one main reason I want to use glass is less scratches then acrylic.

GnarleyMarley · Sep 21, 2015

But you can always buff out acrylic, glass... Not so much

Milliman69 · Sep 21, 2015

That is true.

Harold Green · Sep 21, 2015

There's a large marine store in my area that has concrete tanks. One is probably several hundred thousand gallons. I believe they rely on rubber seals between the glass and concrete. Glass fits in a frame as there are multiple panes across thirty or more feet of tank. Also the concrete is painted( guessing with epoxy). You might want to talk to them about how theirs is sealed. (aquarium world Houston). It's freshwater now but was salt for years.

-Logzor · Sep 21, 2015

My 150g has 3/4" glass. Your 1,500g probably needs thicker glass. I'm not an engineer though.

Seems like a huge amount of pressure to withstand, especially if something hits or potentially cracks the glass. Too much risk.

I think this is why people are recommending a non-glass option.

Milliman69 · Sep 21, 2015

See my 300 gallon only had 5/8" glass.

Yes I understand people are saying acrylic I just like the look of glass plus it's a lot easier to work with and deal with.

The glass guy I been working w said he could do 1 1/4" glass laminated and tempered so think that may be the way I end up going. Just waiting on a price.

-Logzor · Sep 21, 2015

Milliman69 said:
See my 300 gallon only had 5/8" glass.

Yes I understand people are saying acrylic I just like the look of glass plus it's a lot easier to work with and deal with.

The glass guy I been working w said he could do 1 1/4" glass laminated and tempered so think that may be the way I end up going. Just waiting on a price.

As far as visual clarify, how does that option fare? I think the best options would be something that's strong enough but maximizes visual clarity.

Milliman69 · Sep 21, 2015

I'm waiting for a sample of the glass and then the 1.5" acrylic

Dtackett · Sep 21, 2015

yup, pond armor is a great product put out by a great company. but be aware, if you drip it where its not supposed to be, clean it up immediately. it wont peel off like other paints or epoxys. lol

Milliman69 · Sep 21, 2015

Ok after speaking w Bill Wann I'm going w acrylic. 1.5"

Also thanks for the advice on the pond armor I will make sure I be careful and clean it up when I make a mess. Lol

Dtackett · Sep 21, 2015

yeah, if it drips on anything, its not coming off. but that's one of the perks of it. its extremely durable and will not flake or chip. once its on and dry, its on forever. just be sure to follow the application properly. hit all the edges and seams with a good coat first and let it get tacky, then roll on the rest throughout the whole interior. I would coat all edges as well. even if you don't think water will touch it.